Seat-belt use still low in Kuwait: self-reported driving behaviours among adult drivers

Raman, Sudha R.; Ottensmeyer, C. Andrea; Landry, Michel D.; Alfadhli, Jarrah; Procter, Steven; Jacob, Susan; Hamdan, Elham; Bouhaimed, Manal

doi:10.1080/17457300.2013.826698

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This includes speeding, responsible for about 50% of RTI deaths globally [ 21 ] and also a significant factor in the EMR region. In addition, local studies found a seatbelt non-compliance rate ranging from 48% [ 22 ] to 82% [ 23 ] in the total road traffic crashes and 58% non-compliance when self-reported [ 24 ]. This is despite the fact that the majority of the EMR countries reporting the existence of national legislation in national speed limits, drink-driving, motorcycle helmet, seat-belt, drug-influenced driving and mobile phone use (distracted driving) laws [ 5 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological study of road traffic injuries in the eastern Mediterranean region: country economic level, road user category and gender perspectives

2018

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BackgroundThe Eastern Mediterranean region has the second highest number of road traffic injury mortality rates after the African region based on 2013 data, with road traffic injuries accounting for 27% of the total injury mortality in the region. Globally the number of road traffic deaths has plateaued despite an increase in motorization, but it is uncertain whether this applies to the Region. This study investigated the regional trends in both road traffic injury mortality and morbidity and examined country-based differences considering on income level, categories of road users, and gender distribution.MethodsRegister-based ecological study linking data from Global Burden of Disease Study with the United Nations Statistics Division for population and World Bank definition for country income level. Road traffic injury mortality rates and disability-adjusted life years were compiled for all ages at country level in 1995, 2005, 2015 and combined for a regional average (n = 22) and a global average (n = 122). The data were stratified by country economic level, road user category and gender.ResultsRoad traffic injury mortality rates in the Region were higher than the global average for all three reference years but suggest a downward trend. In 2015 mortality rates were more than twice as high in low and high income countries compared to global income averages and motor vehicle occupants had a 3-fold greater mortality than the global average. Severe injuries decreased by more than half for high/middle income countries but remained high for low income countries; three times higher for males than females.ConclusionDespite a potential downward trend, inequalities in road traffic injury mortality and morbidity burden remain high in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Action needs to be intensified and targeted to implement and enforce safety measures that prevent and mitigate severe motor vehicle crashes in high income countries especially and invest in efforts to promote public, active transport for vulnerable road users in the resource poor countries of the Region.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological study of road traffic injuries in the eastern Mediterranean region: country economic level, road user category and gender perspectives

2018

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“…Research also highlights young people's behavior, including low seat belt compliance, eating, drinking, and using mobile phones while driving, speeding and reckless driving, driving without a license, and violating local traffic laws, as documented in studies from Kuwait [79], Oman [80], Qatar [81,82], Saudi Arabia [83,84], and the UAE [85e87]. A national study among students in Oman found that 33% had driven without a license and 34% said they liked to speed [88,89].…”

Section: Transport Injuriesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Arab Adolescents: Health, Gender, and Social Context

Obermeyer

Bott

Sassine

2015

Journal of Adolescent Health

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“…Despite these obvious and tangible public health advantages, seatbelt use while driving is still very low (48%) in GCC countries (Abbas et al 2011a ), even lower (27.2%) in Saudi Arabia (Bendak 2007 ), and other countries including Iran (33%) (Mohammadi 2011 ), located in WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region as oppose to developed countries (Bendak 2005 ). Furthermore, a very high proportion of drivers use the seatbelt while driving in USA (87%), UK (90%), Australia (97%) as compared to high income developing GCC countries including Qatar (73%) (Mahfoud et al 2015 ), Kuwait (42%) (Raman et al 2014 ), UAE (29%) (Barss et al 2008 ) and Bahrain (20%) (WHO 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law is a significant contributory factor in occupants’ injuries and/ or death rates (Abbas et al 2011b ). In Kuwait, mandatory seatbelt use law for drivers was enacted 1976 and for all front seat passengers in 1994 (Raman et al 2014 ; Koushki and Bustan 2006 ). Despite the implementation of seatbelt law while driving, over the years the prevalence of noncompliance among the drivers remained nearly constant as 45% in 1996 (Koushki et al 1996 ), and 42% in 2014 (Raman et al 2014 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Kuwait, mandatory seatbelt use law for drivers was enacted 1976 and for all front seat passengers in 1994 (Raman et al 2014 ; Koushki and Bustan 2006 ). Despite the implementation of seatbelt law while driving, over the years the prevalence of noncompliance among the drivers remained nearly constant as 45% in 1996 (Koushki et al 1996 ), and 42% in 2014 (Raman et al 2014 ). However, in-depth evaluation of the factors associated with this high prevalence of noncompliance with seatbelt law have not been carried out.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of and factors associated with self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law while driving among adults in Kuwait

et al. 2020

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Objectives This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law and examined the factors associated with noncompliance with seatbelt-use while driving in adult working population in Kuwait. Methods During October 2017, 822 adults aged 21–60 years from 11 government ministries and departments were enrolled in this study. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, and self-administered questionnaire. We computed the prevalence of self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law while driving and evaluated the factors associated with noncompliance with seatbelt-use law while driving using a multivariable log-binomial regression model. The adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using model’s parameters’ estimates. Results Of 822 participants, 64.4% were females, 56.6% were 21 to 30 years old, 86.5% were Kuwaitis, and 70.3% had college and/or university level education. The prevalence of self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law while driving was 55.5%, whereas the prevalence of noncompliance with self-reported mandatory use seatbelt as a passenger was 80.9%. Multivariable log-binomial regression model showed that after adjusting for the influence of other variables in the model, participants were more likely to be noncompliers with mandatory seatbelt law while driving, if they believed that seatbelt does not protect against injuries during road traffic crashes (RTC) (adjusted PR = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.06–1.37; p = 0.004) or if they were ever fined for not wearing seatbelt (adjusted PR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.24–1.47; p < 0.001). Furthermore, participants were significantly more likely to be noncompliers with mandatory seatbelt law while driving, if they were unaware of implemented mandatory seatbelt law in Kuwait (adjusted PR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.04–1.19; p = 0.003). Conclusions The prevalence of noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law in the adult working population of Kuwait is considerably high. Being unaware of mandatory seatbelt use law, belief that seatbelt does not protect during RTC, and having ever been fined in the past for not having seatbelt on while driving were significant predictors of noncompliance with seatbelt-use law. These results warrant the focused mass education and rigorous enforcement of seatbelt-use law while driving. These strategies are likely to enhance the adherence to seatbelt-use law and minimize RTCs related injuries and mortality among adult drivers in this and other similar settings in the region. If implemented, future studies may look at the impact of such interventions on RTCs related frequency and severity of injuries in this and other similar settings.

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Seat-belt use still low in Kuwait: self-reported driving behaviours among adult drivers

Cited by 9 publications

References 33 publications

Ecological study of road traffic injuries in the eastern Mediterranean region: country economic level, road user category and gender perspectives

Ecological study of road traffic injuries in the eastern Mediterranean region: country economic level, road user category and gender perspectives

Arab Adolescents: Health, Gender, and Social Context

Prevalence of and factors associated with self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law while driving among adults in Kuwait

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